Chapter 5

Days bled into weeks in the stark, cold room. The light, when it came, was a harsh, unforgiving glare from a small, barred window too high to reach. I lost track of time, the hours blurring into an endless cycle of despair and growing numbness. My body ached, my arm throbbed, and a persistent fever clung to me, making my head swim. I felt myself fading, slipping away into a dark abyss.

One morning, the familiar black dots danced before my eyes. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor, the hard impact briefly jolting me back to consciousness before a wave of black swallowed me whole.

I woke to the antiseptic scent of a hospital. A soft, unfamiliar blanket covered me. The fluorescent lights hummed above, a stark contrast to the oppressive gloom of my prison. My arm was bandaged, an IV drip hooked to a vein. I was in a proper hospital bed, the crisp white sheets a strange comfort.

Through the thin curtain surrounding my bed, I heard hushed voices. Nurses.

"Mr. Hawkins really went all out for Ms. Conway," one murmured. "Flowers, chocolates, even had the whole VIP suite decked out like a honeymoon suite."

"I heard he serenaded her yesterday," the other whispered, a wistful note in her voice. "He's truly devoted. Such a Romantic gesture. Most men wouldn't do that for a woman who's lost their child."

My mind flashed back. Emmett, on our anniversary, surprising me with a weekend getaway, a private dinner, and a small, heartfelt song he' d written. It felt so real then, so special, so unique to us.

Now, I heard it echoed, a cheap copy-paste, for another woman. He was a chameleon, effortlessly mimicking emotions, a master at performing devotion. It wasn't love; it was a script. The realization was both devastating and strangely freeing. It meant his "love" for me had also been a performance. He was just a very good actor.

A hollow laugh escaped me, a dry, raspy sound that ended in a tear. The tears came unbidden, silent and slow, a final release of the last vestiges of hope I' d clung to. There was nothing left to salvage.

The curtain parted abruptly. Emmett stood there, his face etched with fatigue, his eyes red-rimmed. But there was no concern, no tenderness in his gaze. Only a cold, simmering anger.

"So, you're finally awake," he said, his voice flat. "Do you have any idea the mess you've made?" He didn't ask how I was, if I was in pain. Just about the "mess."

I turned my head slowly, away from him, staring at the sterile white wall. I had nothing to say to him. Nothing to give.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Adelia!" His voice sharpened. "Elisa is devastated. She lost the baby. Our baby. You need to apologize to her. Publicly. Withdraw your ridiculous accusations. Now."

My head snapped back, his words igniting a flicker of my old fire. "Your baby?" I said, my voice hoarse, but laced with a bitter edge. "Was it truly your baby, Emmett? Or was it Gordon's?" The words hung in the air, a poisoned dart.

He froze. His jaw tensed, his eyes hardening, but he said nothing. The silence was his answer. A sickening confirmation of every lurid detail I had overheard.

A wave of nausea hit me, more potent than the fever. I felt hollowed out, utterly gutted. My body began to tremble uncontrollably, a deep, wracking sob tearing from my throat. It wasn't just the betrayal; it was the sheer, brutal truth of his depravity.

"Don't be dramatic, Adelia," he said, his voice regaining its condescending calm. "It was a mistake. A moment of weakness. It meant nothing. Elisa needed comfort. She was vulnerable. You were... not well." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But we can fix this. You apologize. We get the media on our side. And eventually, I promise, I'll make sure your art gets the recognition it deserves. When the time is right."

"Apologize?" My voice was a raw, choked sound. "Apologize to the woman who laughed about Alexis? The woman who carried your baby? The mistress?"

He flinched, his eyes narrowing. "Don't use that word. You're being hysterical. I'm offering you a way out, Adelia. A chance to put all this behind us. For Alexis's sake." He held up a hand, brandishing his phone. On the screen, a live feed of Alexis's hospital room. My daughter, still and pale, connected to a labyrinth of tubes and wires.

Fear, cold and absolute, gripped my heart. He was threatening Alexis again. This time, with visual proof of his control.

"You have two hours," he said, his voice devoid of emotion, a cold, hard finality. "Apologize. Retract. Or I reduce her life support to the bare minimum. Your choice."

My body stiffened, my heart clenching in a painful vice. Alexis. My precious girl. I hated that I had to choose, hated that she was caught in his cruel game. For a fleeting, desperate moment, I wished she had never been born, so she wouldn't have to suffer because of me. But then, the thought was quickly replaced by a fierce determination. I would save her, no matter the cost.

"I'll do it," I rasped, my voice barely a whisper. "But I need something in return. A house. In my name. Fully paid off. For Alexis and me. And I need the divorce papers. Signed. No questions asked."

He scoffed. "A house? You think you can negotiate with me? You're in no position-"

"You want my public apology?" I cut him off, my eyes meeting his unflinchingly. "Then you meet my conditions. Or I stay silent. And you'll have to explain to the world why your 'unhinged' wife is refusing to recant her story."

He stared at me, a grudging admiration, or perhaps just annoyance, in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected this from me. "Fine," he conceded, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "A house. It's nothing, a pittance. But the divorce papers will take time. Legalities."

"No," I stated, my voice firm. "I saw Jeremiah's papers. They're ready. I want them brought here. I want everything signed. Today. Before I say a single word on camera."

He frowned, clearly annoyed by my sudden assertiveness. "You've become quite demanding, haven't you?" he muttered. "Fine. It will be done." He snapped his fingers at a nurse passing by. "Get my lawyer in here. Now."

Hours later, a nervous lawyer presented me with the documents. Among them, a thick contract detailing the transfer of a sizable property into my sole name. And beneath it, thinner, simpler, two copies of a divorce decree. I recognized Jeremiah' s firm's letterhead on one. The other, a quick, barely legible scrawl, was a document Emmett' s lawyer had drafted, likely to speed things along. It stated I waived all marital assets except for the house, and specifically barred me from pursuing any claims related to intellectual property. It was a thinly veiled attempt to protect Elisa and his theft.

I didn't argue. I signed both, my hand shaking slightly, but my resolve burning bright. Emmett, impatient, barely glanced at the papers, signing the transfer document and the divorce decree with a flourish, eager to get my retraction out. He was so confident in his control, so blind to my subtle rebellion. He had no idea the second set of papers were Jeremiah' s, a real divorce settlement giving me everything he thought he was denying me.

He set up a camera. My face was pale, my eyes hollow, but my voice was steady. "I, Adelia Murray, wish to retract my statements regarding Elisa Conway and the incident involving my daughter. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding driven by my emotional distress. I apologize for any harm caused." Every word tasted like ash in my mouth. "I also wish to state that Elisa Conway is a talented artist, and I fully support her work." It was a lie, a performance for the cameras. But it bought me Alexis's life.

When the recording was over, I felt a strange sense of detachment. It was done. The humiliation was complete. But so was my freedom.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," I said, my voice cold, "I'm going back to Alexis." I stood, my legs still weak, but my will unbreakable.

Emmett stared at me, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "Adelia? Where are you going? You're still recovering. We can talk about... our future, now that this unpleasantness is behind us." He reached for me, a possessive gesture.

I sidestepped his touch. "There is no 'us,' Emmett. Not anymore. And there is no 'future' with you." My eyes, hard and unwavering, met his. "You made your choice. And so have I."

He watched, stunned, as I walked out of the room, my back ramrod straight. The door clicked shut behind me, severing the last fragile thread between us. He called my name, a note of desperation in his voice, but I didn't look back. I had broken free.